JSG ESTATE LIQUIDATION

This lot comprises three hand-carved African wooden figurines representing a cohesive family grouping — a tall male elder figure, a female figure, and a smaller child figure — consistent with mid-20th century African folk art and tourist trade carvings produced widely across sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in East and Central African regions such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe during the 1950s–1970s. The two larger figures are carved from dense ebonized hardwood, likely African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) or similarly stained hardwood, standing approximately 18–20 inches and 14–15 inches tall respectively, while the smaller figure is carved from a lighter natural honey-toned hardwood and stands approximately 7–8 inches tall. The male figure features elongated stylized proportions characteristic of the Makonde carving tradition, holding a carved staff, with detailed incised texture work depicting clothing and a beard; the female figure displays an elaborate carved headdress with fine crosshatch detailing and a serene downward gaze. The smaller natural-wood figure depicts a standing female form with a voluminous carved afro hairstyle, mounted on a cylindrical base, with expressive facial features and fine tool-mark detailing throughout the body. These carvings reflect the strong African sculptural tradition that influenced Western modernist art movements and remain highly collectible as ethnographic folk art pieces. Condition is overall Good to Very Good; the two ebonized figures show minor surface wear, small areas of natural wood color showing through the ebonizing finish at high-contact points, and light handling marks consistent with age; the smaller honey-toned figure is in Very Good condition with no chips or cracks noted and retains a warm natural finish; all three figures stand stably on their bases.